National Columnists Day

Friday, April 18, 2014

National Columnists Day

When : Always April 18th

National Columnists Day recognizes the importance and value of newspaper columnists.

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists, which was founded in 1977, sponsors and promotes this day in support of columnists and journalists around the world. This day is dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance and contributions made by columnists and journalists.

Do you want to participate in this day? Read a newspaper column. Or, show some appreciation to these writers.

The Origin of Columnists:

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists created National Columnists Day. It was established on April 18th, in memory of the day columnist, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Ernie Pyle was killed in World War II.

We did not find any documentation confirming this to be a "National" day.

This Day in History April 18th

Trial of Martin Luther begins its second day during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. He refuses to recant his teachings despite the risk of excommunication. (1521)

American Revolution: The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and other riders warn the countryside of the troop movements. (1775)

The Harwich ferry disaster occurred near the North Sea port of Harwich on the Essex coast (England) in which 60-90 people drowned during the capsizing of a small ferry boat. (1807)

The University of Alabama is founded. (1831)

American victory at the battle of Cerro Gordo opens the way for invasion of Mexico. (1848)

Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico. (1881)

An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California. (1906)

The Cunard liner RMS Carpathia brings 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic to New York City. (1912)

Yankee Stadium, "The House that Ruth Built", opens. (1923)

Simon & Schuster publishes the first crossword puzzle book. (1924)

World War II: The Doolittle Raid on Japan. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya are bombed. (1942)

World War II: Operation Vengeance, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is killed when his aircraft is shot down by U.S. fighters over Bougainville Island. (1943)

Over 1,000 bombers attack the small island of Heligoland, Germany. (1945)

The keel for the aircraft carrier USS United States is laid down at Newport News Drydock and Shipbuilding. However, construction is canceled five days later, resulting in the Revolt of the Admirals. (1949)

A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound be released from an insane asylum. (1958)

The Republic of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) comes into being, with Canaan Banana as the country's first President. The Zimbabwe Dollar replaces the Rhodesian Dollar as the official currency. (1980)

The longest professional baseball game is begun in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game is suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23. (1981)

A suicide bomber destroys the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people. (1983)

The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World War II. (1988)

In Lebanon, at least 106 civilians are killed when the Israel Defense Forces shell the United Nations compound at Quana where more than 800 civilians had taken refuge. (1996)

The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision. (2007)

A series of bombings, two of them being suicides, occur in Baghdad, killing 198 and injuring 251. (2007)